That’s a shame, because what they’re saying is silly - and bad for the economy, which means it’s bad for jobs and bad for the public services.

We need migrants, because employers need more staff. But our politicians are convinced the public hate immigration, so they’re competing to prove who is the most opposed to it.

Back when they were in opposition, the Conservatives promised to cut net migration - the number coming in to the country minus the number leaving, every year - down to below 100,000.

But they’ve failed. Latest figures show the number is 298,000 people each year.

Ed Miliband visits the NCJMedia newsroom

Now, they’re promising to do something about immigration by changing the EU rules which let people from across Europe come and work in the UK, if they win the election.

Labour has traditionally been seen as more supportive of immigration. There are some Labour MPs who fear immigration helps big business and makes life harder for working people, but they’ve usually been in the minority.

Not any more, it seems.

Labour have pounced on the immigration figures, insisting that the Government has “failed” because it hasn’t cut the numbers.

And immigration is one of the five key policies featuring on Labour’s election pledge card - so it’s apparently more important than transport, for example, the environment or defence.

It is true that the Tories failed to keep promises immigration. But you’d never guess from Labour’s rhetoric that their failure is a good thing for the country.

Why are immigrants coming here? Because the UK’s economy is growing faster than other similar countries - and there are jobs.

The number of people in work in the North East rose by 29,000 over the past year, while unemployment fell by 18,000.

That means there are more jobs, which is great. But as more people get work, firms find it harder to recruit staff.

A new study by KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, which represents recruitment firms, found North East firms were struggling to recruit drivers, engineers, construction staff and programmers.

That’s a problem, even though it’s good news that they have jobs going.

The answer? Partly it’s about giving young people better training. But immigration is also needed to fill vacancies in this country, just as it always has been when the economy did well.